Allergan, a global pharmaceutical company, has completed the acquisition of Tobira Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company.

Allergan acquired Tobira for an upfront payment of $28.35 per share, in cash, and additional contingent value rights (CVRs) that may be payable based on the completion of certain development, regulatory and commercial milestones.

"The completion of the acquisition of Tobira positions Allergan well in developing novel treatments for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a disease set to become one of the next epidemic-level chronic diseases society faces," said David Nicholson, chief R&D officer at Allergan.

"Both the CVC and Evogliptin programs provide highly differentiated compounds that can make a significant impact in the treatment of NASH, where today there are no approved therapies available for patients."

NASH is a severe type of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is characterized by the accumulation of fat in the liver with no other apparent causes.

NASH occurs when the accumulation of liver fat is accompanied by inflammation and cellular damage. The inflammation can lead to fibrosis (scarring) of the liver and eventually progress to cirrhosis, portal hypertension, liver cancer and eventual liver failure.

The acquisition adds Cenicriviroc (CVC) and Evogliptin, two differentiated, complementary development programs for the treatment of the multi-factorial elements of NASH, including inflammation, metabolic syndromes and fibrosis, to Allergan's global Gastroenterology R&D pipeline.

Allergan is focused on developing and commercializing therapies for NASH and other liver diseases.